Recognizing Indigenous territory

To follow up on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada report and its calls for action, most major Canadian universities have drafted statements to recognize Indigenous peoples on the traditional territories where their activities take place. For Université de Montréal, we propose the following text.

Université de Montréal is situated on land where, long before the arrival of the French, people of many Indigenous nations came together and interacted. We wish to acknowledge these nations, their descendants and the spirit of fraternity that presided over the signing in 1701 of the Great Peace of Montreal, a treaty that fostered peaceful relationships between France, its Indigenous allies and the Haudenosaunee federation (pronunciation: O-di-no-sho-ni). The spirit of fraternity that inspired this treaty serves as a model for our own university community.